


A Different Despair - Danganronpa Another IF

by mister_m00



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Mastermind (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Class 78 becomes despair instead of class 77, Death, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Enoshima Junko Being Enoshima Junko, Enoshima Junko has DID, Enoshima Junko-centric, F/F, F/M, Fukawa Toko has DID, Hurt/Comfort, Ikusaba Mukuro-centric, Junko tries to teach Mukuro memes and slang and culture but Mukuro just doesn't get it, M/M, Moderately Slow Updates, Mukuro has PTSD, Nice Enoshima Junko, Non-Despair Enoshima Junko, POV Alternating, Probably not an accurate portrayal of DID and PTSD but I did some research and my best :P, Slow Burn, So here we are, Sort of? - Freeform, but in a good way yknow, but the only alters she has is Depressed Junko. Queen Junko. Teacher Junko, i'm ikuzono and kirishima trash, you get a lot of that in this lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:35:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mister_m00/pseuds/mister_m00
Summary: In life, there are many Ifs.One of those Ifs is Mukuro Ikusaba waking up on a beach.
Relationships: Enoshima Junko/Kirigiri Kyoko, Fukawa Toko/Togami Byakuya (one-sided), Ikusaba Mukuro/Maizono Sayaka, Ikusaba Mukuro/Naegi Makoto (one-sided), Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto, Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Prologue

Her mind is floating. Free. The sound of water hitting a flat surface echoes in my head, but she doesn't have the energy to figure out where the sound it coming from.

Her eyes are closed, but she is fully awake and aware of everything. She can smell the salt in the air and hear the white noise in her ears. When she clench her hands into fists, sand is molded into her palms and sticks underneath her nails.

The white noise in her ears ring out and dampen. She hear an annoyed voice calling out to her.

"Hey... Muku, you dumbass, can you hear me? Are you dead?"

A pathetic noise escapes the back of her throat, as if she's begging to stay on the ground with her eyes closed. Instincts, however, kick in, so she opens her eyes.

Her vision is blurry. She blinks multiple times to be able to make out the figure in front of her. Or, more accurately, above her.

Junko?

"That was quite a fall, sis. For a soldier, you sure do have some big ass feet, huh?" Junko giggles a little, but the smile doesn't reach her eyes. "I don't blame you, though. I mean... that was some pretty crazy stuff that happened."

"Crazy... stuff?" Mukuro's voice sounds raspy and confused. She swallow the dry lump in her throat to be able to continue. "What...?"

"What kind of memory do you have? Remember that crazy shit from earlier?"

Right. The crazy stuff that happened earlier... Mukuro retreats inside of her mind, thinking from her own perspective...

\- - - - -

The day was relatively normal... As normal as it can be with a loudmouth for a little sister and an exceptional school in front of you.

Hope's Peak Academy.

This is no ordinary school. Far from it. It accepts students from all over the world to be enrolled into their school.

There have been many complaints to the school that talents like "The Ultimate Pickpocket" and "The Ultimate Arsonist" shouldn't be considered talents and that they should be in jail.

Some people think that my Ultimate Soldier title shouldn't be one if the forums are up to date.

Right. I guess I haven't introduced myself. My name is Mukuro Ikusaba, and my little sister, Junko Enoshima, is walking ahead of me to get into the school.

She's always loved Hope's Peak Academy, and it's no wonder she was chosen as Ultimate Fashionista. With how successful she has been doing with her magazines, it's hard to think that she'd come here for another talent.

But she could have: Ultimate Analyst. Junko is extremely smart, but Hope's Peak Academy must not have seen her intellect. How could they? Junko has been hiding her smarts so she could be a diva.

I'll always be proud of her no matter what, so I can let that slide. But I won't have her talking down on herself like she usually does when she is bored.

I smile softly as I watch Junko skip towards the school. She's wearing her favorite black blazer that shows off her chest, sleeves rolled up above her elbows, and her red mini skirt. In Junko's pigtailed hair is a bunny clip and a red and white bow. Her boot-heels are black and click against the ground on every step.

"Come _on_ you slow poke," Junko looks back at me with a huff, cheeks puffing out.

I look down at the ground to prepare myself. Am I ready? Do I look ok? I'm wearing a simple black t-shirt and gray camo pants tucked into my black combat boots, black fingerless gloves on my hands to hide my Fenrir tattoo. On one thigh is a gun holster with a M9, and the other thigh has a combat knife.

Junko scoffs and grabs my trembling hands in her steady ones. "Don't worry, sis! If you end up embarrassing yourself in front of the others, I won't laugh too hard!"

That's reassuring.

I nod and take a step forward. I've always wanted to connect with people. I've always wanted to be closer to others. I've always...

**AlwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysalwaysERRORERRORERRORCharacternotrecognized-CharacterrecognizedOperationMalfunctionCompleteEngagingHopeRestoration:CompleteCommencingSystemRebootRestartRelocate**

What's happening?

Before my very eyes the worlds glitches and black spots appear in my eyes. I squeeze my eyes shut.

It's completely silent.

Opening my eyes, a void surrounds me. Junko is nowhere in sight. As I'm about to cry out for my sister, wondering about her safety, a door appears in front of me. The void begins to swirls and green glitches occupy some of the darkness of the void.

Should I... go through the door? What if there's a threat on the other side? But what if it's Junko? She wasn't happy the last time I thought I heard an enemy and ended up attacking her.

Taking a deep breath, I sigh. This is fine. It's just... maybe I have food poisoning and this is a horrible hallucination.

I walk forward to the brown door, and it slides open to reveal a bright, white light. My eyes burn at the light, but I keep walking forward...

Into a... classroom?

Fifteen pairs of eyes turn my way as soon as I enter. One of them I recognize right away.

"Junko!" I step into the classroom and rush to Junko. She scoffs at my worry.

"What? Did you think I was dead or something?"

"N-No, you just disappeared and--"

"Hold on," A calm voice interrupts from my right. I look over to a very stoic girl with light purple hair and cold lavender eyes. "Who are you?"

I feel my face heat up in embarrassment. "O-Oh, I'm--"

"No need," A very tall blond male sneers from the front of the classroom. "We don't need names right now; we need answers."

Answers?

Junko laughs, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wait, you think Muku can give you your answers? Pfft! She may look the part, but she doesn't have those book smarts,"

"You two know each other, I presume?" A gothic girl stands neutrally near the back wall. Her drilled hair shakes as she looks away quickly to mutter. "Things are certainly getting curiouser and curiouser."

"Um..." An ordinary boy sitting at one of the desks next to a blue-haired girl clears his throat. "Can I ask a question?"

The blond from earlier smirks and nods. "Ask away. If it has something to do with our predicament, I can allow it to pass,"

The boy blinks. "Oh, uh. Well... weren't we supposed to have some sort of opening ceremony?"

An orange-haired boy stands abruptly from his desk and puts his hands up. "I was never told about some opening ceremony! What the hell even is this?"

A small, fragile looking girl wrings her hands together and looks away with tears in her eyes. "Maybe everyone isn't here yet and they're setting the ceremony up?"

A boy dressed in all white puts his fist up in a commanding way. "That's a perfect observation! The teachers wanted us to have a surprise ceremony!"

"What kinda fucking logic is that?" A boy with a long pompadour haircut rolls his lavender eyes. "If we already know about the damn ceremony, why the hell would they make it a surprise?"

"Watch your language! This is a school environment, and that kind of bad mouth will make me report you to the headmaster!"

"Headmaster shmeadmaster! I want fuckin' answers!"

"Quiet. Now," The blond demands of the two. "I was about to discuss that when everyone arrived."

The strict boy nods his head. "That reminds me!" He dramatically points in my direction and begins to yell. "Your tardiness is absolutely inexcusable! I should report you to the headmaster and take you to detention!"

Junko curls her lip. "Ugh, don't listen to the hardass. He's all talk,"

"This is everyone anyway, so we should move on,"

"How'd you know this is everyone?!" A tan male with wild hair loudly questions. "Do you have some sort of ESP or something?! I thought that was my talent..."

The blond huffs. "This is everyone because there are sixteen desks, and that girl came in last. I think the math should be obvious,"

A large and buff warrior girl nods her head. "I see. Since she's the last to arrive, then the class should be full,"

"Hmph. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out,"

This guys will be the death of me.

"So wh-what do we talk about?" A timid girl spat at us. She shuffles on her feet and wrings her hands together. "Who brought u-us to this cl-classroom?"

"You don't have to sound so mean when you say it," A tan and busty girl pouts from beside the warrior.

"There is one thing I want to ask everyone. And be honest," The purple-haired girl speaks up. My eyes turn to her only to see her staring at me. "Does anyone here remember coming to this classroom?"

I try to think back. I remember walking through the airport and being picked up by Junko in her limousine. I remember standing at the school's front, talking to Junko. Then... nothing.

The girl continues, paying no mind to our shocked faces. "Before I knew what was happening, I woke up here. I find that strange, and I don't think I was the only one,"

"This is not natural," The blond mutters and pushes his glasses up. "Your stupid faces confirm the fact that you all agree with me."

"Hm, yes, I can say that I do agree with you," An obese male agrees with the blond. He pauses before gasping. "What do you mean by 'stupid'?!"

"As soon as I entered the school, I was struck by an inexplicable dizziness. After that, I found myself outside of this very classroom," The blond continues, ignoring the obese male. "I assume everyone else was the same?"

"Well... yes," I feebly answered.

"Wait!" The tan male from earlier exclaims. "It wasn't just me?! I wasn't high?!"

"High...?" A confused noise left my throat. I look to Junko miserably. "Is that one of those 'slang' terms you told me?"

Junko shakes her head and clicks her tongue. "Oh, you poor girl. I'll tell you later,"

"For everyone to suddenly get dizzy at the same time..." The purple-haired girl puts a hand to her chin. "That's not a coincidence."

"There's another issue at hand," The goth hums. Her red eyes look to the door. "It appears that we cannot leave. Some of us have tried the door, but it won't open."

The small girl trembles. "We... We can't leave...?"

The warrior nods. "Yes. I have tried using my raw strength against the door, but alas... it wouldn't open. Even with my strength,"

Junko scoffs. "I doubt it. Muku, open the door,"

I jump at the command, standing tall. I turn and head towards the door. Placing my hand on the knob, I twist and pull... and pull... and pull...

"Ugh, don't look so stupid, dummy! I know you haven't been in contact with the outside world in, like, three years, but come on," Junko sounds annoyed. "Punch the damn thing open."

I raise my fist and drive it forward, but it bounces off of the door. I stumble back and shake my hand at the searing pain that shot through it.

"As I told you," I turn to face the warrior. Her white hair covers her face ominously, leaving a shadow over her eyes. "The door won't open."

"Maybe it just needs a little tool power for it to work," Junko gestures to me again. "Use your gun!"

"Her WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" The obese male scream in fear and ducks behind the nearest person, who just so happens to be the pompadour male.

"Uh, Junko..." A nervous smile creeps onto my face. "I know I haven't been... up to speed, as you say, but I don't think using a gun to shoot the door is ok."

"At least _you_ have common sense in place of... _her_ ," The blond glares at Junko, who's looking at her long, red nails.

I swallow the lump in my throat that begs to be let out. I always try to defend my sister no matter what, but she doesn't want me to do that anymore. She says she can handle herself, so I trust her.

"But _why_ won't it open?" The blue-haired girl finally speaks up. She puts a finger to her chin. "It's... weird."

"It opened when I came into the classroom, but for it to lock as soon as I entered..." The goth hides her mouth behind her hand, but I can hear the smirk in her tone. "It makes you wonder, yes?"

"W-We're locked inside," The depressing girl with braids shuffles further into her seat.

Locked... inside? I want to disprove that theory and rip the door open so we can all escape... but I can't. If I tried to get the door open and I couldn't, then there's no way we can escape.

Anxiety weighs heavy on my shoulders, and despair twists my stomach. What if we die in here?

"Ah!" The obese male points his finger up and grins. "I have an idea! What if... this is a secret exam?"

The strict male shakes his head. "The school never said anything about a secret exam! I would have read about it before I came here!"

That's... the point of it being a secret?

The pompadour male groans. "That's the point of it being secret, dumbass,"

"Ah! That's not it! This isn't an entwance exam!"

Did... Did a mew voice come from nowhere? I look around in bemusement only to see everyone else do the same.

"... What was that just now?" The blond uncrosses his arms to glare at everyone.

"Yo, legs, what the fuck was that baby noise you made?" The orange-haired boy looks away and ruffles his hair.

"Wh--?! Legs?!" The blond seems offended. He makes a low noise in his throat from annoyance. "Nevermind that. That sound didn't come from someone like me."

"Then who was it?" I ask.

"Um, it was meee!" The voice squeaks again. My head tilts to the side and I stare at the podium.

"Uh, I think it's coming from--"

"Behind the podium!" Junko flips her hair and grins. I sigh.

"Behind the podium?" The ordinary boy looks at the podium.

The voice giggles childishly. "Bingo! It seems everyone’s here, so wet's begin!"

The podium began to shake and shimmy, causing the blond to back away from it. Something thumps against the ground then it pops up...

A rabbit?

A pristine white rabbit pops up from behind the podium. It's dressed in a pink, frilly skirt and a matching pink bib. On it's back is a pair of white wings and a pink bow rests on it's right ear. In it's right paw is an elegant looking wand as it sparkles and shines.

"What the...?" The ordinary boy trails off. He stares in disbelief at the rabbit.

"What _is_ th-that thing?" The depressing girl curls in on herself and trembles.

"It's a stuffed animal," The stoic girl curiously takes a step forward.

"...Thaaat's wight. I'm a stuffed doll. I'm made of felt," The rabbit blushes and raises the wand in the air. "My name is 'Magical Girl Miwacle ★ Usami'... but you can just call me Usami!"

Usami... the Magical Girl Miracle? Is this some kind of game? Just as this whole situation couldn't get any weirder...

"I'm your teacher, everyone. Pweased to meet you!"

"Our... teacher?" I ask confused.

That doesn't make any sense... Aren't teachers supposed to be alive? And... human?

"Waaaaaaah!" The tan male drops to his knees and begins to pray, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "I knew it! An evil spirit possessed this stuffed rabbit!"

The blue-haired girl grabs at the pink bow adorning her schoolgirl outfit. "Am... Am I hallucinating? Is this real?"

"W-We see it, too," The strict male stammers out. His expression is shocked, but quickly returns to one of respect. "I see! Pleased to meet you, Teacher Usami!"

The braided girl glares at the boy. "Don't j-just give in l-like that!"

"Hmph," The blond male crosses his arms and lifts his head snobbishly. "Not that it matters. This is nothing more than a stuffed animal--a remote controlled one, at that."

"While that may be true, that leaves me to wonder," The girl with light purple hair cups her chin with her leather-bound fingers. Her eyes stare into the beaded black dots of Usami. "Who's controlling you?"

The rabbit blushes and looks away. "O-Oh... Well, nobody's contwolling me! In fact, I'm 100% a weal natuwal wabbit!"

My brows furrow. "Wait, but--"

Usami waves her wand in the air, sparkles coming from the end. "Now that intwoductions are out of the way! I'm hewe to supewvise this field twip!"

"A... field trip?" The goth girl tilts her head.

"Preposterous! We're in Hope's Peak Academy, so where exactly are we going for a... 'field trip'?" The blond male steps back a half step, and his face turns slightly red.

"Yeah, you silly rabbit!" Junko laughs and twirls her strawberry blonde hair.

Usami seemingly ignores everyone, twirling around magically. "Let's get going! Your fun field twip starts nooow!"

The wand in Usami's hand sparkles and explodes in a shower of purple and pink gradients. The room begins to tremble, prompting the sitting students to stand from their desks. The walls collapse and disappear, revealing a burning yellow sun above and a sandy beach below.

My eye widen as whatever noise that is stuck in my throat comes out choked. I whip around in a panic, the others doing the same.

"... What?" I could hear the disbelief and the rasp in my throat. "What?"

I couldn't believe my eyes... The Hope's Peak Academy classroom had fallen apart at the seams right before our very eyes. How are we at a beach when we were in a classroom?! It doesn't make sense...

"What the _hell_ is this?!" Junko's shrill voice triumphs over the other students' disbelief. 

"Ah, yes, I seem to understand," The obese male nods as if he understood what was happening. Then horror dawned on his face. "WHAAAAAAT?!"

"This i-is a tr-trick, right?" The braided girl bites her thumb as she trembles on the sand.

"Where are we?!" The tan girl cries out in surprise. She clings to the warrior girl while the latter stands seemingly unaffected, but her eyes had gone wide.

The students continue to freak out, but the lavender haired girl. She simply stands with her arms crossed, looking at Usami with clear inquires in her blank gaze.

"Hey, everyone! Pwease calm down!" Usami waves her stubby arms and jumps to gain everyone's attention. "Pwease! Pwease! There's no need for panic! Take a good look around! It's a beauuutiful sea, isn't it...? Can’t you already feel your soul cleansing? Every bad thing is being waaashed awaaay..."

She makes a waving motion with her arms, symbolizing the ocean waves. I swallow the lump in my throat and ignore the prickly anxiety in my gut.

"W-Wait! We want an explanation for where we are!"

""Where...? It's obvious, isn't it...? Somewhere! Beyond the sea!" Usami twirls around to face the waves gently licking the shore. "Can't you see?!"

The braided girl clenches her hands together then jabs her fingers at the rabbit, face red. "Th-That doesn't explain _where_ we are y-you stupid r-rabbit!"

"You know... if you keep shouting like that your thwoat is going to get sore," The rabbit whimpers. Is... she concerned for out health?

"We were at Hope's Peak Academy mere moments ago, were we not?" The goth girl folds her hands underneath her chin. She smiles sweetly, but her crimson eyes glare at the rabbit. "How do explain the transition from there to here? From a school to a beach?"

Usami waves her paws in a placating manner, a line of sweat dripping down the side of her head. "Pweease west assured, that was just our field twip's beginning!"

The blond male takes a threatening step forward with a stern glare. "What's your endgame? Why bring us to this island?"

"Y-Yes!" The strict male stands ramrod straight, but anyone could see the disturbance on his face.

"Yeah! The prick's right!" The pompadour male cracks his knuckles and steps forward as well. "We were just in Hope's Peak! How the fuck are you gonna just jump over that part?!"

Usami stands neutrally, gazing into every students' eyes. Her beady eyes stop for a moment longer on one student near the back before she answers.

"Oooh. Hope's Peak Academy... I see... You're still wowwied abowt Hope's Peak Academy! In that case..." Usami throws her arms up in a cheer, her cheeks flushing pink. "Pwease forget all abowt it! That's what this field twip is aaall abowt!"

"... Huh?" I feebly ask. My fingers entangle themselves in my black shirt, itching to grab my knife or gun and threaten this rabbit.

The orange-haired male grips his hands into fists and raises them threateningly. "What?! 'Forget all about it'?! What the fuck is that supposed to mean, stupid?!"

"Who are you? What are you scheming?" The blond raises his own fist, but I could tell he wouldn't do anything with it.

Usami flushes pink and shakes her head and arms wildly. "Howawa? I am not scheming anything! I'm doing all of this for you! More than anything, I pway that a biiig 'hope' grows inside your hearts!" She smiles, warmth flooding over my heart at the tenderness. Who was this rabbit?

"That's why this island is fwee of danger! So don't be afwaid, okay?" Usami claps her paws together despite the wand clasped in her paw.

"Hold on," The lavender haired girl folds her arms across her chest and stares down at the rabbit. "Island? We're on an island?"

"Yep! This is a beauuutiful southern island," The rabbit happily skips around in the sand until she is standing at the stoic girl's feet, staring up at her. "There is nothing to be afwaid of here. There aren't even any other people. It's an island made juuust for you."

"A... A desert island?" My vision wavers. I've had bad memories on islands...

Junko gasps, looking as if she's figured something out. My eyes shoot to her for an explanation, and I know that her analyst skills will help us in the end.

"Oh my God... Don't tell me you brought us to this island..." Junko takes a step back, distrust clearly on her face. "to make us kill each other?!"

That's a theory that's certainly out there. My brows furrow at how certain Junko sounds, the disgust and the hatred in her eyes.

"Howawa! K...Kiww eachother?! G...God forbid! Violence, hurting other people, and other such wild activities are forbidden on this island! 'Kiwwing'... even just saying the word out loud... Kyaa! Scawy!"

"Stop avoiding the question!" The blond snaps at the rabbit, frustration getting the better of him. "What's the point of this 'field trip'? Who are you? _Where_ are we?!"

Usami claps. "It's time for my speech! Everyone. Pwease stwengthen your bonds of fwiendship as you enjoy your pweasant stay on this island! This is the rule of this 'Heart-thumping Field Twip'!" She winks and waves her wand in the air.

"H-Heart-thumping... field trip?" The timid girl has tears building in her hazel eyes, borderline crying.

"Pwease waise your hope as you enjoy quiet, peeeaceful days where noothing happens, no one gets hurt and no one suffers..." Usami nods her head, and she smiles warmingly. "This is what this wuvly, wuvly 'Heart-thumping Field Twip' is all about..."

"That's the assignment I'm giving you on this island!"

"What the hell?!" The pompadour male growls.

"Um, and so..." Usami waves her wand once more, the object sparkling pink and purple glitter. "Let our 'Heart-thumping Field Twip' begin!"

My eyes droop, suddenly heavy. I can feel my legs give out from under me, and I crumple to my back on the sand. Multiple cries of alarm sound from around me, but I can't seem to care...

... because everything went dark...


	2. Prologue

On the beach with her head buried in her knees is Mukuro, and Junko is standing over her still, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Muku, are you even listening to me?” Junko grumbles about her designer heels getting sand in them and her beautifully lotioned knees before kneeling in the sand next to her sister. She narrows her eyes before placing a hand on Mukuro’s shoulder. “Can you at _least_ nod or shake your head or something? I don’t wanna sit on the sand all day.”

“... I… Just… G-Go away, please,” Mukuro finally manages to choke out. She looks up from her knees, her vision blurry from the pressure on them. Her mellow eyes take in everything she sees. Golden sand… Blue sea… A gentle breeze brushes against Mukuro’s skin. The soldier looks to her left at her annoyed sister. “That… _thing_ said we’re on an island, right?”

“Yeah! Kinda weird, don’tcha think? We’re in a classroom when suddenly this off-brand Trix rabbit teleports us to a remote island in the middle of nowhere,”

Standing up, Junko pulls Mukuro roughly to her feet. The older sister glares, but Junko pokes her tongue out and sends her a peace sign. Mukuro’s eyes catch something--a few things, actually.

“Is that a camera?” A growl leaves Mukuro’s throat. “They’re _spying_ on us?!”

Junko rolls her eyes. “Yeah, dummy, try to keep up. Apparently it’s supposed to watch over us and make sure we aren’t in any danger, but I don’t buy it. I think the only other people here who believe me is detective chick, gloomy girl, and Tyrannical Togami,”

“Detective chick? Gloomy girl? Tyrannical Togami?”

Junko begins to cackle. “Oh my God! I totes forgot that your ass passed out! That’s kinda embarrassing, but don’t worry, your pathetic ass can introduce yourself now!”

Mukuro tilts her head curiously. “How many others are here?”

“Like, besides us, fourteen,”

Fourteen other Ultimate students are trapped on this island. Chances are that everyone else has introduced themselves while Mukuro passed out on the sand, and now Mukuro has to be the odd-one-out and awkwardly introduce herself.

“C’mon, Muku, let’s gooo!” Junko grabs on Mukuro and begins to pull her off of the beach. Mukuro stumbles but follows her sister.

While the pair of sisters were walking, a chiming sound rang in between the giggles from Junko. Puzzled, Mukuro shoves her hand into her pocket and pulls out some sort of phone. Her brows furrow in thought as she examines the device.

“Oh, you found the e-Handbook!” Mukuro looks up from the supposed “e-Handbook”. “Ugh, stop looking like some sort of confused puppy. Usami gave it to us while you were in the middle of passing out.”

“It’s an Ewectwonic Student Handbook!”

“Gah!”

Mukuro pulls out her gun, dropping the e-Handbook in the process, pointing it at the rabbit that suddenly appeared. Junko begins to cackle while Usami looks horrified.

“Uwah! D-Don’t point that at meee! Pwease!” Usami cowers behind her wand. She doesn’t seem to realize that her body is still vulnerable to attack. ”I’m sowwy I stawtled you! Pwease put that away, pwease!”

Eyes narrowed, Mukuro lowers her gun and slips in back into its holder on her thigh. Usami is visibly relieved, a sigh of relief coming from her mouth. “What do you want?”

“I just came to tell you that that device is a vewy cwucial part of this field twip! Pwease don’t lose it!”

Important?

“How’s this… device important?” Mukuro bends down to pick the e-Handbook up. She runs her fingers over the smooth screen, gazing at the rabbit curiously.

Usami wiggles in place with her wand sparkling. “My task for everyone is to use this Ewectwonic Student Handbook and gather ‘Hope Shards’!” _Hope Shards?_ Usami continues. “You see, when you deepen your bonds with your classmates on this island, you acquire ‘Hope Shards’. The more you get along with everyone, the more ‘Hope Shards’ you gather!” Usami waddles up to Mukuro and takes the latter’s hands in her paws. “I want you to gather as many ‘Hope Shards’ as you can, and make your Hope flower bwoom… That’s the goal of this yield twip!”

Before Mukuro can respond to those words, Usami chirps out a “Wuv! Wuv!” and skips off from the twins. The soldier sputters out a weak “Hey!”, but Usami didn’t come back.

“‘Hope Shards’... What’re they? It’s like we’re playing a game...”

Junko, who had been watching the conversation silently, chuckles. “Wow! You _do_ seem to have some brains up there! How perceptive… This is a game,” The light-hearted look on Junko’s face dims. A shadow of doubt and suspicion hangs over her eyes. “I’m not usually wrong; I _know_ this is a game, but… I thought we were here to off each other. Ugh! How could my genius brain betray me like this!”

“Junko…”

“Look, you don’t have to believe me, but something’s totally off here,”

“I _do_ believe you,”

Junko stares blankly at Mukuro. Mukuro could see the gears turning in her head as she subconsciously analyzed Mukuro and her intentions. Junko doesn’t mean for it to happen but it does, and she can’t stop it; however, she’s getting better about it.

“OK… Let’s go introduce you to the other students!” Junko perks up and skips off. Mukuro follows her after a sigh.

Palm trees loom over Mukuro’s form, making her feel small. She wearily observes as Junko slows to walk beside her and talks nonstop. The two heads left from the beach, and a building is swiftly approaching from the distance.

Stepping into the building, Mukuro takes notice of the tropical yet sleek interior. It’s an airport. Inside are two males face-to-face while yelling at each other. Mukuro perks up as she remembers both males from earlier.

The taller male has a long pompadour that’s hitting the shorter male’s forehead comedically. He’s wearing a loose fitting wife beater with a long coat on, vague symbols on the back, and baggy pants cuff to show white shoes. The shorter male has short, spiky, black hair and piercing red eyes. He’s wearing a white, uptight uniform with a red armband on his left arm, and black boots are fitted on his feet.

“I told you! I can’t fix some Goddamn airplane! I work on motorcycles! Open those big ass ears of yours and listen to me!” Pompadour male jabs his finger in the other’s chest.

“It’s important to have an escape option off of this island in case something goes wrong! I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my fellow classmates if something went wrong!” The strict male crosses his arms with a stern look. “So, I’m asking you to at least look at the engines!”

“Asking?! Motherfucker, you’re _telling_ me to! And I don’t fly planes! I. Drive. Motor. Cycles!”

Mukuro and Junko awkwardly watch back and forth as the argument grows. “Is this a bad time?” Mukuro asks. She flinches when two pairs of irate eyes settle on them both.

The strict male stands to attention. “You! You haven’t introduced yourself, and neither have I!” He holds up his fist in a commanding pose. “My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and I’m the Ultimate Moral Compass! I believe in bold simplicity! Let us work together to become classmates and get off of this island, so we can do our homework!”

Mukuro stands tall and saluts. “Mukuro Ikusaba, also known as the Ultimate Soldier! Pleased to meet you!”

The male laughs. “I like you, Mukuro! And, please, call me Taka!”

Taka, huh?

The pompadour male huffs but gazes at Mukuro. “Mondo Oowada… Nice to fuckin’ meetcha…”

Taka glares at Mondo. “He’s the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader so he should know all about engines, yet he won’t even take a look at the airplanes!”

Mondo throws his hands up. “‘Cuz I don’t fuckin’ work with plane engines ya Goddamn idiot!”

Junko clears her throat, breaking up the argument. “The planes don’t actually have engines in them anyways, so don’t bother looking for any to fix,”

“Ah… well…” Taka visibly deflates. “Then… it was my fault for not checking the airplanes out myself! I’ve become such a horrible person! Somebody pinch me, punish me!”

“Uh, Junko, we should probably… leave,”

“Sounds like a fantastic idea, Muku!”

The two sisters shuffle backwards and run out of the airport. Mondo watches them leave, a betrayed expression on his face as he’s left with Taka repeatedly apologizing to him.

Two chimes from Mukuro’s e-Handbook. Two Hope Shards.

Laughing, the two sisters continue to go left. Mukuro checks her e-Handbook while they walk, wondering how many more people will be waiting for her. She can’t quite remember.

“I bet those two’ll fuck by the end of the day,” A blush races across Mukuro’s face at Junko’s statement. Junko laughs and leans on her sister. “Aw, don’t be a prude! Don’tcha think that they’ll mess around with each other? God knows they need it with all that tension between them.”

“O-Oh… maybe?”

“Ugh, you’re no fun,”

Now in front of a new building, Mukuro sees a name on the front of it--Rocketpunch Market. With a slight bounce in her step, Mukuro pushes the doors open.

“A supermarket… It’s pretty big…”

“That’s what she said,”

“What?”

“Who the hell are you?” The orange-haired male from earlier is standing in front of some surfboards, gazing at the two with a slight smirk. He runs his hand through his hair and winks. “Guess we haven’t been introduced. The name’s Leon Kuwata! What’s up?”

The orange-haired male is dressed like some punk band star. With a piercing below his lip, rings on his fingers, and the graphic t-shirt of a baseball thrown into a skull completing the look. A white blazer is on him, collar popped.

“Mukuro Ikusaba,” The soldier walks forward and saluts once the doors close. “The Ultimate Soldier.”

Leon’s jaw drops. His light eyes suddenly start to tremble. “Hey, you aren’t gonna kill me or anything, right?”

Junko scoffs. “She may be a soldier but she’s passive as fuck. She won’t attack unless she’s ordered or she’s in danger, so you’re fine,”

“Heeey, Junko,” Leon gives a lazy smirk, shooting her a kiss. Junko rolls her eyes.

“Didn’t you ask me if Sayaka was single?”

“What’s your talent?” Mukuro asks, and Leon’s face screws up.

“Ugh, I knew you were gonna ask that shit. I’m the Ultimate Baseball Star, but that’s not at all what my heart’s into!” Leon thrusts his fists into the air. “I’m gonna become the Ultimate Musician, ‘cuz baseball _sucks_! It’s so stupid!”

Leon turns his back and begins to examine some of the shelves, a dark shadow over his face. Mukuro looks at Junko in curiosity. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Nah, he just likes to hype himself up about becoming the Ultimate Musician despite not actually being able to play an instrument,”

Mukuro catches a slight movement from the corner of her eye. She turns to see a short girl with shoulder length, brown hair and hazel eyes gazing at her from behind a shelf. She has on a green cardigan and a brown skirt. She squeaks when Mukuro stares at her, stammering out an apology. Jumping, Mukuro begins to apologize back.

In the middle of the apology-fest is Junko with a very annoyed look on her face. She watches each apology with a bored expression. “God, you two seriously need some therapy,” Two sets of eyes turn to her. “Chihiro has social anxiety and an inferiority complex and Mukuro has PTSD.”

“No, I don’t!”

“A-Anxiety…?”

“No, no! No need to thank me for my observations,” Junko waves at the space between the two, and Mukuro takes a hesitant step forward.

“I-I’m Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier,”

“I’m… Chihiro Fujisaki! The Ultimate Programmer,” Chihiro wrings her hands together and shuffles nervously on her feet. Tears prick at her eyes. “Hey, so, you aren’t mad at me, right? For… staring?”

Mukuro shakes her head. “No, I’m used to being stared at. Some people… don’t like people like me,”

“But… why? You’re so nice!”

“I’m a soldier, so I’ve had to kill people. But,” Mukuro continues sharply when Chihiro takes a slight step backwards. “I promised myself that I wouldn’t do that anymore once I came to Hope’s Peak Academy. War was the one thing I wanted, but I just want a break.”

Chihiro nods hesitantly. “I get it. Y-You had to be someone else so people wouldn’t be mean…”

Without another word, Chihiro smiles lightly and walks away to talk to Leon. Mukuro watches the smaller girl leave, a blank expression on her face. Had to be someone else… Yeah. That’s how it would best be described as.

A light pinch to Mukuro’s shoulder shakes her from her silent state, and she flinches as she looks to Junko. The younger sister cocks her head. “You aren’t doing some weird soldier thing, right?”

“Oh. No, I was just…” The soldier trails off. Two chimes came from the e-Handbook inside of her pocket again. “We should get going.”

“Understandable. Bye you two!” Junko waves lightly with a sing-song tone. Her bright smile sends both Leon and Chihiro into a flushed state.

Once the doors to the supermarket closes, Mukuro chuckles lightly. “You really like to use your charm on anyone, huh?”

Junko scoffs and flips her hair over her shoulder. “You know it, sis!” Her face scrunches up and she flinches.

Looking to her right in concern, Mukuro grabs her sister and pulls her close. Junko blinks her eyes closed and flinches again with a hiss escaping her grit teeth.

Sighing, Mukuro leads her sister into a new area where they're surrounded by cottages, and another large building rests away from them. Junko physically shakes her sister's grasp off of her.

"What's your damage?"

Mukuro looks into Junko's eyes. "You know you don't have to hide it. The swapping, or whatever you call it,"

Junko looks away and towards the ground. Her jaw clenches, and Mukuro wants to beg to figure out what's going on inside her sister's mind. Why she feels like this. Why she talks down on herself despite being confident. Why…

"I… know I don't have to hide it, but I don't _want_ _them_ around,"

"I don't think they're too bad,"

Junko snorts. "Tell that to my managers,"

"Junko…"

"I'm not talking about this," Junko walks off, still fighting internally. Mukuro watches her for a moment before following her.

Mukuro can imagine how her sister feels. The itching beneath her skin that continues to burn her, begging to be let out. She doesn’t even know how it happened, but… Junko is still her sister who she needs to watch over. Even if she’s being a pain in the ass.

In front of her, Junko comes to a stop in front of the large building that Mukuro saw earlier. She glances over her shoulder and grins at Mukuro’s dumbfounded look.

“Wow… this is a nice looking hotel!”

“‘Hotel Mirai’...” Junko snorts out a tiny laugh and flips her pigtailed hair. “Yeah, I guess they decided to go with a Japanese word to name the hotel. Not as trendy as some of the hotels I’ve been to, but whatevs!”

Mukuro looks over her shoulder at the cottages they had passed, counting sixteen of them. “I guess we won’t have to pitch camping tents then,”

“Don’t sound so disappointed! You can still sleep on the floor if you really want,” Junko checks her red nails on her hands. “Get a crick in your neck for all I care.”

The fashionista perks up and waves at something behind Mukuro’s back. “Hiii, babe! Mukuro, turn and meet some more people!”

Following the command, Mukuro turns and... looks up…

“My name is Sakura Ogami. I am the Ultimate Martial Artist,”

Sakura stood tall, over six feet, and seemed to tower over the twins. She wore a white school outfit that stretches over enormous muscles, the sleeves torn off at her deltoids. Bandages cover her forearms and calves while long scars litter over her darker skin, contrasting her white hair. Her silver eyes were narrowed but showed nothing but warmth upon seeing the two girls.

“M-Mukuro Ikusaba!” She stammers out. Junko snickers from her side. Mukuro may be a soldier, but she doesn’t think that she stands a chance against the Ultimate Martial Artist. “I’m the Ultimate Soldier!”

Sakura perks up and uncrosses her arms from across her chest. “Soldier?” She begins to feel Mukuro’s arms and legs, ignoring the red hue that now resides on the soldier’s face. “Hm. While you look like you may not have adequate muscle mass, feeling you tells me a different story. You will make a great training partner.” She steps back.

“Training… partner?”

“Of course. I need to be in shape and at my best,” Sakura smiles slightly. “You won’t mind training with me, right? I tried to convince Mondo to be my training partner, but he refused.”

Mukuro blinks and thinks over Sakura’s request. She probably doesn’t have anyone other than me (and Mondo apparently) to spar with. “I… Yes, I’ll spar with you,”

“Excellent. I look forward to our first training session,”

A loud gasp pulls Mukuro’s attention from the martial artist, but she doesn’t have time to react before hands are gripping hers and someone is talking a mile a minute. Mukuro is yanked over towards the pool while the person keeps chatting.

“Uh…”

“--and I was talking to Sakura about the pool! It may be smaller than I’m used to but--”

“Excuse me?”

“Hm?” The girl stops talking and claps her hands. She’s wearing a tanktop with a red jacket over it, collar popped. She’s also wearing shorts and tennis shoes. Hina’s brown hair grabs Mukuro’s attention--it swirls up. “Oh right! We haven’t met yet before you decided to faceplant the sand!”

_It… Did I really fall face first?_

“I’m Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimming Pro! But my friends just call me Hina,” Hina giggles at Mukuro’s face. “‘Sup?”

‘Sup? She’s heard that before!

“Uhm… ‘S-Sup! I’m Mukuro Ikusaba, and I’m the Ultimate Soldier!”

Hina begins to draw random patterns into the palm of her hand. “Mukuro Ikusaba… Mukuro… Ikusaba…”

Curious, Mukuro watches the movements. “What are you doing?”

“Huh? Oh, this! I tend to forget names and faces easily, and I made up a way for me to remember! See?” Hina takes Mukuro’s wrists in her hands again and guides her to draw in the palm of her hand with her pointer finger. “If you write the person’s name three times on the palm of your hand, you won’t forget it!”

“Th-That’s amazing! I never knew that something like that existed!”

From behind her, Mukuro hears a slight snicker. Junko appears with a grin. “Hina will tell you all kinds of things that’ll blow your tiny mind,” Mukuro pouts at the insult. “We gotta go, though. We’ll see you later, Hina!”

“Bye, Junko! Mukuro!”

Another person catches Mukuro’s sharp eyes. She’s standing near the front of Hotel Mirai silently while watching the sisters. She has lavender colored hair that flows down her back and piercing lavender eyes. A dark leather jacket sits over her button down shirt and tie, and her dark skirt and heeled boots tie the whole outfit together.

Junko practically skips over to the other girl, leaving Mukuro to trail behind her with an intrigued expression. The girl stares not at Junko while she talks 90 to nothing, but at Mukuro herself.

“You’re the one who passed out,” She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “Stressful situations such as these can have unintended consequences, no matter how friendly and unassuming the situation is.”

“I’m sorry for passing out. I don’t know what happened,”

“You don’t have to worry about it,”

“Muku, this is Detective chick!” Junko interrupts the conversation, greatly annoyed.

The girl hums. “Detective chick? I suppose so, but I won’t respond to your nicknames anytime soon, Junko,”

“Aw, bummer!”

“Anyways,” The girl turns back to Mukuro with a slight nod. “My name is… Kyoko Kirigiri. I am the Ultimate Detective.”

“I’m Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier,”

Kyoko glances down at Mukuro’s gloves. “Something’s under your gloves,”

Mukuro’s brows shoot up as a squeak of surprise escapes her. “How--”

“You keep rubbing the back of your right hand, and your standing position turns slightly to the right. You block your right side from view. You’ve been doing it while we’ve been talking,”

To Mukuro’s surprise, she is rubbing the back of her hand and is turned away slightly. She shuffles to stand facing Kyoko and catches her sister staring at the detective with hearts in her eyes. Mukuro chuckles slightly, and Junko perks back up.

“Isn’t Kyoko just super smart? She has those detective genes in her,” Junko smiles dopily.

“We’re done now, right?” Kyoko’s question nearly knocks Junko off of her feet (literally).

Junko visibly deflates and begins to shy away. “Y-Yeah, but--”

“Goodbye,” Kyoko turns away from them and is back to her silent state.

Mukuro takes Junko’s hand and leads her away. “Is she your friend?”

“She’s… Nevermind, this is about you,” Junko jumps back to her regular self, but there’s a slight hesitance that wasn’t there before. “C’mon, there should be more people in here.”

Mukuro ignores the three chimes from her e-Handbook and follows her sister inside of Hotel Mirai.

“Hey, you two!”

Two sets of eyes lock onto the twins. Mukuro’s heart jumps at the perfect smile on the boy’s face. It doesn’t look as forced as everyone else’s when they met her.

The boy looks… plain. But a good kind of plain! He has fluffy brown hair with some of it that sticks up on top and nice green eyes. A jacket is thrown over his hoodie, and his red shoes are clumsily tied into a knot. The taller girl next to him has stunning blue hair with a perfect set of eyes to match. She has on a white school outfit and a pink bow on her rounder chest.

The girl next to the boy smiles warmly and tilts her head as the sisters walk closer. “Hi! I’m Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Sensation. I look forward to getting to know you!”

“I’m Makoto Naegi. I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student, but…” The boy trails off and scratches the back of his neck. “I’m not very lucky.”

“Mukuro Ikusaba! The Ultimate Soldier!” Mukuro juts her hand out awkwardly. Junko, watching curiously from the sidelines, raises a brow at her sister’s behavior.

Makoto takes Mukuro’s gloved hand and shakes it. The heart in Mukuro’s chest soars. Giggling, Sayaka grabs Mukuro’s hand after Makoto drops it.

“The Ultimate Soldier? Where were you deployed?”

Mukuro seems to hesitate, eyes flicking to Junko. “Uh… Middle East,” She lamely states. “Sorry, I don’t really talk about myself.”

“She also doesn’t understand memes! Isn’t she just adorable?” Junko pats her sister’s head then flicks the lobe of her ear. Mukuro huffs. “Like a puppy! Yep, that’s your nickname from now on, Muku.”

Sayaka and Makoto laugh at the sisterly playfulness, and Mukuro’s heart soars. She doesn’t know why her heart is beating this fast or why she really likes looking into those soft eyes… Maybe she finally found someone she can call a friend? Maybe someone more?

But why does her heart beat more when…

“Sisters, huh?” Makoto nods his head. “I have a younger sister: Komaru Naegi. When we get off of this island, I should take you guys to meet her!”

“Aw, lucky!” Sayaka seems to pout and looks away, fiddling with the bow on her chest subconsciously. “I’ve always wanted a sibling.”

“Trust me, you don’t,”

“Whaaat?! Muku, you whore, you’d give me up as a sister?! Waaaaah!” Junko fake cries. Mukuro tiredly looks at her while Makoto laughs. Sayaka seems confused. “Y-You’re so mean to me! After all the times I called you in Fenrir just to take your mind off the battlefield--”

“You called me when I was in battle,”

“--and now I’m not even your sister?! Waaaaah! I even got you a IPhone so you won’t have to use that disgusting Blackberry!”

Sayaka nods. “I see why siblings are… uh…”

“Wh--?! I’m not that bad!”

“Before you leave, by the way,” Makoto points towards the stairs with a slight smile. “Celeste and Hifumi are up there.”

“Ugh!” Junko groans. She folds her arms across her chest. “But I don’t wanna see the liar and her lapdog! She insulted you when you fell and made fun of your freckles!”

Mukuro smiled. “Thank--”

“And only _I’m_ allowed to do that! C’mon, let’s beat this bitch up!” Junko marches to the stairs and up them, disappearing above. Mukuro sighs and shakes her head.

“It was nice meeting you two,”

“You too!”

“Bye!”

Mukuro climbs the stairs and sees some kind of restaurant setting on this floor. Loud talking catches her attention, so she immediately follows the sound to a kitchen area in the next room. She sees Junko talking with two people.

The first is a obese male that’s gazing at Junko in awe. He wears a gray cardigan over his white button up shirt and an orange tie that has a blue pattern on it. Small glasses sit on his face so his beady eyes can see. A backpack rests on his shoulders.

The second is a girl dressed in mainly black and white. She has black, drilled hair with a gothic headpiece in her hair. Angry yet calm red eyes stare directly at Mukuro, and she shivers at the neutral smile on the girl’s face. A black and white dress covers her body, and a black blazer is thrown over her torso with a red tie on her blouse.

“Ah, the girl who fainted on the sand,” The girl holds her hand over her mouth to hide her emotions, but Mukuro can see the twinkle of amusement in her crimson eyes. “Whatever brought you here?”

Mukuro takes a few steps forward and yanks Junko back by the collar of her shirt. “Hey! That’s designer, and I refuse for it to be torn, stretched, wrinkled, matted, stained--” Junko went off into a tangent.

“I believe we have not been properly introduced yet,” The goth bows slightly. “I am Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler. Please, call me Celeste.”

“Celestia… Luden… What?” Mukuro tries the name a few more times before giving up. “Loo-den-burg.”

“Ludenberg,”

“I-I’m sorry,” Mukuro mumbles.

The male a few feet away pushes up his glasses. “Heh. I am Hifumi Yamada! The Ultimate Fanfic Creator! But, if you wanna call me by my nickname, ‘The Alpha and the Omega!’, I wouldn’t mind,”

“Fan… fic?” Mukuro doesn’t know that term. It must be some kind of music or something. “I’m Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier.”

“SOLDIER?!”

“Hmm. I’m curious,” Celeste leans forward ominously, eyes staring into the soldier’s soul. “Soldiers simply do not just faint on the sand, no?”

Mukuro averts her eyes. “I… have bad memories on islands,”

“Ah, I see,” Hifumi makes a thinking motion.

“ _Uuugh_! Muku, I don’t wanna talk to these hoes anymore! The goth lotita physically scares me and the weeb smells like potato chips!”

Mukuro squeaks when Junko grabs her arm and drags her out of the kitchen, down the stairs, passes by a very confused duo, passes three _more_ very confused people, and out of the cottage area. Junko is babbling the whole way to a different area of the island. Two chimes spring from her e-Handbook.

“--and how dare she say that my body is made mostly of plastic?! I’ll pickel her limbs!”

Made of plastic?

“Where’re we going now, Junko?” Mukuro pulls her arm out of Junko’s strong grasp and rubs the indents from her red nails.

“There’s, like, two more places we need to go and then,” Junko pauses for dramatic effect as they come to a stop in front of a farm-looking area. “we’re done!”

“Usami Coral?”

“Yeah, a farm. And yet, there are literally no animals here,”

“But those are chickens…?”

“It’s a figure of speech…” Junko pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs.

“Oopsie…” Mukuro jolts once again and has to physically restrain herself from pulling her gun and firing. Usami seems to beam at the two sisters. “You got me!”

“Wh--?!” Mukuro folds her arms across her chest uncomfortably in an attempt to hug herself. “Where the hell do you keep appearing from?!”

“I am a vewy elusive bunny wabbit! I can appear anywhere on this island!” Usami waves the fancy stick in her paws. “It’s all thanks to my Magical Stick!”

“Magical Stick”... that ridiculous toy she’s holding?

Usami turns her body to the farm where the twins had entered with a slight disappointed sigh. “Oh, but this is indeed twoubling… A farm without a cow is like a Japan representative who isn’t Japanese,”

“That’s a dumb comparison,” Junko scoffs.

Shooting the stick into the air, Usami begins to wave it around. She tells the two to stay back as she points the stick towards the chicken. With a flash of pink, the chicken sparkles and glows, growing bigger and bigger until an average sized cow stands in its place.

What… the _hell._

“Great success!” Usami cheers.

Mukuro gapes at the cow standing in the farm, the chicken nowhere to be seen. Spluttering noises escape from her mouth as Usami and Junko watch her.

“Ugh, stop tryna wrap your tiny mind around it. It’s probably just smoke and mirrors and all that magician type shit,” Junko says, but the grimace on her face tells another story.

Usami disappears once again when the sisters step deeper into the farm. Mukuro watches a male walk up to the cow in astonishment and pats its side before… praying?

“Hiro, get the fuck up and stop kneeling in the mud,” Junko huffs in annoyance at the male.

Hiro stands with a jolt and turns with his hands together in a prayer. He has on sandals and baggy pants, and over his button-down white shirt is a dark coat that hangs over his shoulders. His brown hair spreads wildly behind him in dreadlocks, and stubble dabs at his tan skin on his chin.

“Oh, the passed out chick!”

Mukuro sweatdrops. Is that how she’s going to be remembered by everyone on this island?

“I’m Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant. Hiro for short!” Hiro scratches his chin with a slight grin. “Take it easy, yeah? I know I will.”

“Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier,” Puzzled, Mukuro tilted her head. “Uh, clairvoyant?”

Hiro laughs lightly. “Yeah! I’m right thirty percent of the time,” He looks Mukuro up and down before nodding. A grin slips higher onto his face. “I totally see it.”

Junko groans.

“See what?” Mukuro cautiously asks.

“I saw a wolf the size of Bigfoot running across a battlefield! It was fighting a vampire, and they don’t sleep, y’know? It looked like an epic battle!” Hiro pats himself on the back, literally.

Junko rolls her eyes. “Uh huh, and was that wolf supposed to be her spirit animal?”

“Haha! No, it was actually her! Sometimes--”

“Ugh, we get it. We still have people to meet,”

“Oh! Um… Is this about your prediction earlier?” Hiro scratches the back of his neck. “I mean, I never said that your future lover wouldn’t _not_ like you.”

Junko flushes red and grumbles. Mukuro giggles slightly. Groaning, the younger sister turns and walks a few feet away to the next person. Mukuro follows and sees the girl standing at the edge of a mud pile and glaring at the two as they approach.

“Wh-What are _you_ looking a-at? Am I _th-that ugly_ that y-you have t-to stare?”

Mukuro blinks in shock while Junko rolls her eyes. In front of the twins was a girl who was hunched in on herself, arms blocking her chest defensively as she glared at Mukuro. She’s wearing a dark school outfit with a long skirt to her mid-calves. Large circle glasses sit crooked to the side on her nose and her mouth turns to a scowl, the beauty mark below her bottom lip not looking very beautiful.

“I-I knew it!” The girl suddenly jerks away from the twins and scowls. She holds her hands to her head and shakes. “You’re just h-here to make fun of m-me! Haha, l-like I’m just some d-dirty pig in--”

Junko slaps her palm, literally, onto the girl’s mouth and ignores the burning glare into her soul. “Yeah yeah, I know you don’t like people looking at your or whatever, but this puppy still hasn’t introduced herself!”

Mukuro shoots her sister a bewildered stare which goes ignored. “Puppy? I’m still being called that?”

“Eheh, I get it… You t-two--”

Mukuro visibly stands straight and begins to talk over the perverted words that continue to stammer out. “I’m Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier! This is my _sister_ , Junko Enoshima!”

The gloomy girl blinks once before turning a bright red and glancing away. “I-I knew that, but I was j-just… testing your sk-skills as a s-soldier…”

_But she didn’t know I was a soldier until I told her…_ Mukuro sweatdrops.

“Hmph… N-Not that you’ll r-remember me anyway…” The gloomy girl hunches her shoulder even more, somehow, and says. “I-I’m Toko F-Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy.”

Junko hums. “Say, Gloomy girl, did you find Tyrannical Togami?”

“D-Don’t say his n-name like th-that!” Toko jams her finger out and nearly pokes Junko in her chest. Junko stares down at the hand until Toko jerks back as if the stare had burned her arm off. “But… no, I-I haven’t s-seen him.”

Mukuro hums in thought. “Is there anywhere we haven’t checked?”

“I’ve looked everywhere! H-He just disappeared f-from the island!”

“I doubt that,” Junko mutters under her breath. “He just doesn’t like you.”

Toko bites her thumbnail dubiously. “I-If you find h-him… Can…” The writer giggles and presses her finger tips together dopily. “Hehe… Tell m-me wh-where he is?”

Junko and Mukuro slowly start to back away from the writer with uncomfortable grins. “Oh, yeah, psh, no promises!” Junko fake laughs. “Muku, we need to go before she’s hornier than before.” Mukuro’s e-Handbook chimes two more times.

When Toko looks back up, both girls are gone from her view. She huffs and fumbles her hands together.

Mukuro and Junko find the last place they can possibly go on the island called Jabberwock Park. It’s a few yards from where they began at the beach. In this part of the island, they find a tall, blond male with his arms crossed over his chest. He’s wearing a fancy suit and rectangular glasses. He’s glaring fiercely at a statue in the middle of the park.

“Tyrannical Togami! My man, it’s been eighty-four years!” Junko cackles once they reach where the blond stands.

The male doesn’t turn to acknowledge the sisters, but he does scoff. “Junko. What do you want?”

“Hey, no need to be a douchebag. I brought someone who wants to say hi! Say hi, Muku!”

“Um,” Mukuro watches as the blond turns somewhat slowly to watch her with narrowed eyes. “Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier.”

“Soldier? Did your commanders instruct you to pass out whenever life is too inconvenient to you?”

Ouch…

“Hmph. No matter,” He crosses his arms once more and looks away. “Name’s Byakuya Togami.”

An awkward silence rings out before Mukuro clears her throat. “Wh-What’s your talent?”

“You don’t know? You would think that someone in a high position such as myself would have more recognition. I’m the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.”

A single chimes comes from Mukuro’s e-Handbook.

**Ding dong, bing bong!**

On the monitor in Jabberwock Park, Usami flickers on with a blush and cheerful smile. “Congwatulations, everyone! It looks like everyone managed to gather their vewy first set of Hope Shards! Oh oh oh oh…” Usami tears up, but manages to wipe them away with her paws. “this makes me so vewy happy… And so, I have prepared special pwesents so that you can be happy too!

“I’m sorry for the twouble, but please gather up back at the beach. Tee-hee! Let’s make our hope shine together!”

The monitor flickers off.

“I’ll be on my way, then,” Byakuya marches out of Jabberwock park, leaving the twins behind.

Mukuro speaks first. “Junko… I have a bad feeling…”

“I feel it too…”

They should make their way to the beach, but… something swirls in the pit of Mukuro’s gut. Anxiety?

Maybe… nothing will go wrong? Maybe Mukuro wants to feel normal compared to her usual paranoia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that updates for all three of my books will be slow. School's been sucky.
> 
> I'm about to break everyone's hearts for the first chapter. Hell, I'm about to break everyone's hearts for ALL chapters. Oof..
> 
> Btw, there is no true Komaeda in this fic. While Junko does have some more Komaeda moments than others, I accidentally made nearly the whole Class 78 Nagito kinnies. It's pretty funny looking at my notes about how each chapter is going to go.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to say that, yes, I did change the design of Mukuro's clothing. I just felt as though a dark gray trench coat would've been too... vague? Idk the word.
> 
> And Mukuro's schoolgirl outfit from DR3 Despair Arc was... not very representative of her title of a soldier. So we have the camo pants, combat boots, and the typical army stuff.
> 
> Personally, I don't know what you wear in the army (the Japanese one), so I just went with the camo. I hope it doesn't offend anyone.
> 
> Plus... I wasn't too sure about Fenrir military clothing... so...


End file.
